Despite advancing technology, IDF faces dilemma on Gaza border
Ben
Caspit, Al Monitor, June 6, 2018
Caspit, Al Monitor, June 6, 2018
Israel
successfully intercepts rockets fired from the Gaza Strip, but fails in
addressing the threat of incendiary kites launched by Hamas activists.
successfully intercepts rockets fired from the Gaza Strip, but fails in
addressing the threat of incendiary kites launched by Hamas activists.
 |
| REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa. Palestinians prepare to fly a kite loaded with flammable material to be thrown at Israel, near the Israel-Gaza border in the central Gaza Strip, June 4, 2018. |
The
exchange of violence between Israel and the Gaza Strip at the end of May
revealed another remarkable achievement of Israeli technology. For the first
time ever, Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system successfully shot down
barrages of short-range mortar shells fired extensively by Palestinian Islamic
Jihad and Hamas at Israeli settlements adjacent to the border fence. Few people
believed that it would be possible to shoot down mortar shells that are small
targets, in the air for such a short time and travel such a short distance. But
it happened. Engineers from Rafael Advanced Defense Systems overcame this
difficulty and made it possible to shoot down the tiny shell, despite it being
fired at a steep trajectory toward a relatively close target. Iron Dome
has achieved an impressive rate of success in doing this, eliminating yet
another terrorist threat against the Israeli population living along the border
fence.
This
significant achievement has flown under the radar because of the incendiary
kites being launched from Gaza. For the past few weeks, Israel has
been left helpless in dealing with the new Palestinian “weapon,” which sets its
fields and settlements on fire on a daily basis. Israel is a cyber superpower.
The high-tech nation is a leader in drone technology. It sends satellites into
space and can shoot down everything from mortar fire to intercontinental
ballistic missiles that fly outside the earth’s atmosphere (with its Arrow
missile system). Nevertheless, it doesn’t know what to do about kites flown
from the Gaza Strip with flaming torches attached to their tails.
These kites ignore the border fence, the underground border obstacle, the air
force, the navy, ground forces, tanks and snipers. Their load, consisting of a
small Molotov cocktail or a smattering of hot coals, has succeeded in setting
fire to Israeli fields at the height of the harvest season.
significant achievement has flown under the radar because of the incendiary
kites being launched from Gaza. For the past few weeks, Israel has
been left helpless in dealing with the new Palestinian “weapon,” which sets its
fields and settlements on fire on a daily basis. Israel is a cyber superpower.
The high-tech nation is a leader in drone technology. It sends satellites into
space and can shoot down everything from mortar fire to intercontinental
ballistic missiles that fly outside the earth’s atmosphere (with its Arrow
missile system). Nevertheless, it doesn’t know what to do about kites flown
from the Gaza Strip with flaming torches attached to their tails.
These kites ignore the border fence, the underground border obstacle, the air
force, the navy, ground forces, tanks and snipers. Their load, consisting of a
small Molotov cocktail or a smattering of hot coals, has succeeded in setting
fire to Israeli fields at the height of the harvest season.
On June 5
alone, these kites were responsible for some 15 fires in the south, with one of them
raging over a large area along the fence of Sapir College, just
outside of Sderot. These fires have destroyed about 10,000 dunams
(approximately 2,500 acres) of crops and natural wooded areas. Some of these
fires threatened residential areas. As for a solution to the problem? Israel
has none.
alone, these kites were responsible for some 15 fires in the south, with one of them
raging over a large area along the fence of Sapir College, just
outside of Sderot. These fires have destroyed about 10,000 dunams
(approximately 2,500 acres) of crops and natural wooded areas. Some of these
fires threatened residential areas. As for a solution to the problem? Israel
has none.
This is
becoming a competition between the most innovative and advanced technology in
the world and the primitive means of long ago. Kite flying has always been
popular in Gaza because of its beach, winds and geographic conditions. Hamas
has now weaponized this popular childhood pastime and turned it into a means of
spreading terror.
becoming a competition between the most innovative and advanced technology in
the world and the primitive means of long ago. Kite flying has always been
popular in Gaza because of its beach, winds and geographic conditions. Hamas
has now weaponized this popular childhood pastime and turned it into a means of
spreading terror.
The irony
is that Hamas is actually following the model of a story told in chapter 15 of
the Book of Judges and known to all Israelis as Samson’s foxes. According to
the story, Samson captured 500 foxes, tied them in pairs by their tails and
attached a torch to each pair. Then he released them in the Philistines’ fields
during the harvest season, setting the fields on fire. Now Israel finds itself
in the exact same location (the Philistines lived in the vicinity of modern-day
Gaza), but on the wrong side of the fire. It can block and seal off Hamas’ attack
tunnels, the sea, the ground routes and even the air with its top-notch air
force, but it is unable to deal with something as simple as a kite. These kites
fly low. They are made of transparent plastic wrapping, and they are relatively
tiny. This makes them almost unpredictable and unstoppable. Often, the simplest
things can be the most powerful.
is that Hamas is actually following the model of a story told in chapter 15 of
the Book of Judges and known to all Israelis as Samson’s foxes. According to
the story, Samson captured 500 foxes, tied them in pairs by their tails and
attached a torch to each pair. Then he released them in the Philistines’ fields
during the harvest season, setting the fields on fire. Now Israel finds itself
in the exact same location (the Philistines lived in the vicinity of modern-day
Gaza), but on the wrong side of the fire. It can block and seal off Hamas’ attack
tunnels, the sea, the ground routes and even the air with its top-notch air
force, but it is unable to deal with something as simple as a kite. These kites
fly low. They are made of transparent plastic wrapping, and they are relatively
tiny. This makes them almost unpredictable and unstoppable. Often, the simplest
things can be the most powerful.
Not
quite. Defense Minister Avigdor
Liberman said June 4 that ever since the phenomenon began, some 600
arson kites have been sent from Gaza to Israel. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF)
blocked about 400 of these with gliders, snipers and other means. The remaining
200 reached Israel, where they were remarkably successful, causing 198 fires.
In other words, almost every kite that landed in Israel started a fire, and
this happened before the summer season, which makes the entire area
particularly flammable. Meanwhile, protests are becoming more vocal on the
Israeli side of the border. Farmers are losing their entire livelihoods all
because of a kite, and local residents are living in a state of constant
terror. Aerial photographs of the region show vast stretches of once green land
that are now blackened and charred. Israel is also having problems with its
aerial firefighting planes, which fly low and are therefore vulnerable to
gunfire from the Gaza Strip.
quite. Defense Minister Avigdor
Liberman said June 4 that ever since the phenomenon began, some 600
arson kites have been sent from Gaza to Israel. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF)
blocked about 400 of these with gliders, snipers and other means. The remaining
200 reached Israel, where they were remarkably successful, causing 198 fires.
In other words, almost every kite that landed in Israel started a fire, and
this happened before the summer season, which makes the entire area
particularly flammable. Meanwhile, protests are becoming more vocal on the
Israeli side of the border. Farmers are losing their entire livelihoods all
because of a kite, and local residents are living in a state of constant
terror. Aerial photographs of the region show vast stretches of once green land
that are now blackened and charred. Israel is also having problems with its
aerial firefighting planes, which fly low and are therefore vulnerable to
gunfire from the Gaza Strip.
Israel’s
defense establishment has a problem, and the best minds are searching for a
solution. One example of a solution is having two gliders flying just a few
dozen meters from each other, connected by a nylon string that can slice
through the kite string and bring it down. While there are other embarrassing
solutions of this sort, some members of the Cabinet are insisting on a change
of policy instead. Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan has demanded that the
people launching these kites be classified as terrorists in every sense of the
word. This would mean that the IDF would use the air force to identify and fire
at them while they are releasing the kites. The IDF, on the other hand, is
firmly opposed to this policy. Most of the kites are being flown by teens.
Targeting them would spark an international commotion. It would spur such harsh
criticism that the whole effort would not be worthwhile, especially with Israel
already facing widespread criticism over its uncompromising policies to block
the waves of Gazans storming the fence. Military sources told Al-Monitor that these
kites do not pose an immediate or serious threat. Furthermore, most of the
kites are flown just over the rooftops of Gaza’s homes, with most of them flown
from the homes themselves. It would not be feasible to fire a missile at a
house just because a kite rose above it. It would make no sense.
defense establishment has a problem, and the best minds are searching for a
solution. One example of a solution is having two gliders flying just a few
dozen meters from each other, connected by a nylon string that can slice
through the kite string and bring it down. While there are other embarrassing
solutions of this sort, some members of the Cabinet are insisting on a change
of policy instead. Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan has demanded that the
people launching these kites be classified as terrorists in every sense of the
word. This would mean that the IDF would use the air force to identify and fire
at them while they are releasing the kites. The IDF, on the other hand, is
firmly opposed to this policy. Most of the kites are being flown by teens.
Targeting them would spark an international commotion. It would spur such harsh
criticism that the whole effort would not be worthwhile, especially with Israel
already facing widespread criticism over its uncompromising policies to block
the waves of Gazans storming the fence. Military sources told Al-Monitor that these
kites do not pose an immediate or serious threat. Furthermore, most of the
kites are flown just over the rooftops of Gaza’s homes, with most of them flown
from the homes themselves. It would not be feasible to fire a missile at a
house just because a kite rose above it. It would make no sense.
Erdan and
several other ministers think differently. They believe that the kites are
terrorism. Period. They also claim that Israel’s policy will change as soon as
a kite results in injuries or deaths. Only deterrence will prevent this
phenomenon, and the instigator of this terrorist activity is Hamas. Over the
last few weeks, kites landing in Israel have included detonators, timers, cell
phones and other indications that this is just the beginning of an attempt to
attach small explosive devices to them. According to one IDF assessment, the
next generation of kites will be more like flying bombs than flying Molotov
cocktails. It is a disconcerting evolution. The kite threat should be
eliminated, said Erdan, before it becomes a dangerous explosive glider.
several other ministers think differently. They believe that the kites are
terrorism. Period. They also claim that Israel’s policy will change as soon as
a kite results in injuries or deaths. Only deterrence will prevent this
phenomenon, and the instigator of this terrorist activity is Hamas. Over the
last few weeks, kites landing in Israel have included detonators, timers, cell
phones and other indications that this is just the beginning of an attempt to
attach small explosive devices to them. According to one IDF assessment, the
next generation of kites will be more like flying bombs than flying Molotov
cocktails. It is a disconcerting evolution. The kite threat should be
eliminated, said Erdan, before it becomes a dangerous explosive glider.
There is,
of course, a middle option. Israel has defined all attempts to attack the
border fence as terrorist incidents and set an immediate threshold for
responding to Hamas. It is defined in the exact same way as the firing of
rockets into Israel from the Gaza Strip. The kites can also be declared
terrorism, with Hamas targets getting bombed in response as soon as any kite
lands in Israeli territory. But once again, the political leadership is
reluctant to do this. It may be that the objective is impossible to meet, given
the large number of kites and the small number of high-quality Hamas targets
across the fence. Regardless, the Israeli Cabinet has yet to hold a formal
discussion about the problem. They are waiting for a technological solution,
hoping to find one before everything burns to the ground.
of course, a middle option. Israel has defined all attempts to attack the
border fence as terrorist incidents and set an immediate threshold for
responding to Hamas. It is defined in the exact same way as the firing of
rockets into Israel from the Gaza Strip. The kites can also be declared
terrorism, with Hamas targets getting bombed in response as soon as any kite
lands in Israeli territory. But once again, the political leadership is
reluctant to do this. It may be that the objective is impossible to meet, given
the large number of kites and the small number of high-quality Hamas targets
across the fence. Regardless, the Israeli Cabinet has yet to hold a formal
discussion about the problem. They are waiting for a technological solution,
hoping to find one before everything burns to the ground.
